Regrettably, the vast majority of auto insurance customers kept their coverage with the same auto insurance company for four years or more, and just short of a majority have never compared quotes from other companies. With the average premium in California being $1,387, drivers could save themselves roughly $470 a year by just shopping around, but they don’t want to spend time to compare rates and save money.
If you want to save money, the best way to get low-cost car insurance rates in San Francisco is to make a habit of regularly comparing prices from insurers that sell auto insurance in California. You can shop around by following these steps.
Step 1: Learn about auto insurance and the things you can control to prevent high rates. Many rating criteria that cause high rates like at-fault accidents, speeding tickets, and your credit history can be controlled by being financially responsible and driving safely.
Step 2: Obtain price quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive agents and direct companies can give quotes from one company like GEICO and Allstate, while independent agents can quote prices for a wide range of companies.
Step 3: Compare the new quotes to your existing policy and determine if there is any savings. If you find better rates and buy the policy, verify that coverage does not lapse between policies.
Step 4: Provide notification to your current company of your decision to cancel the current policy and submit the required down payment along with the signed application for the new policy. Don’t forget to store the certificate verifying proof of insurance with your registration paperwork.
The critical component of shopping around is to use the same amount of coverage on each quote request and and to look at as many different insurance providers as possible. Doing this ensures an apples-to-apples comparison and a thorough selection of prices.
If you are insured now or just want to reduce your rates, you can use these tips to buy cheaper insurance while maintaining coverages. We hope to help you learn how to get online quotes and some money-saving tips. Consumers just need to use the proper way to get comparison rates using one simple form.
Getting a cheaper price on insurance is actually quite simple. All you need to do is take a couple of minutes comparing rates to find the company with inexpensive San Francisco auto insurance quotes.
The companies shown below can provide price quotes in San Francisco, CA. If multiple companies are shown, we recommend you click on several of them to get the best price comparison.
Discount San Francisco auto insurance rates
Auto insurance is expensive, but you may qualify for discounts to cut the cost considerably. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you complete an application, but a few need to be manually applied before they will apply.
- Seat Belt Usage – Drivers who require all vehicle occupants to buckle up could save 15% on medical payment and PIP coverage.
- Multi-line Discount – Not every insurance company offers life insurance, but if they do you may earn a lower premium rate if you buy a life insurance policy as well.
- Data Collection Discounts – Insureds that choose to allow companies to spy on driving habits remotely such as State Farm’s In-Drive could save a few bucks if they show good driving skills.
- More Vehicles More Savings – Purchasing coverage when you have all your vehicles with the same auto insurance company may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Low mileage vehicles may enable drivers to earn cheaper auto insurance rates.
- 55 and Retired – Seniors are able to get better auto insurance rates.
- Claim Free – Insureds with no claims or accidents are rewarded with significantly better rates on San Francisco auto insurance quote in comparison to insureds who have frequent claims or accidents.
- New Vehicle Savings – Buying a new car model can save up to 30% since newer models have better safety ratings.
- Drivers Education – Have your child participate in a local driver’s education class in school.
- Air Bag Discount – Factory options such as air bags or motorized seat belts may get savings of 20 to 30 percent.
A little note about advertised discounts, many deductions do not apply to all coverage premiums. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. Even though it may seem like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it doesn’t quite work that way.
If you would like to see a list of insurers who offer free Volkswagen Rabbit insurance quotes in California, follow this link.
Are car insurance agents of importance?
A lot of people still prefer to get professional advice from a licensed agent and that can be a great decision Licensed agents are highly skilled in risk management and help file insurance claims. An additional benefit of comparing rate quotes online is the fact that drivers can get cheap rate quotes but still work with a licensed agent.
After filling out this form (opens in new window), your information is immediately sent to companies in San Francisco who will give you bids and help you find cheaper coverage. You don’t have to contact an agency due to the fact that quote results will go to you. In the event you want to get a comparison quote from one company in particular, just visit that company’s website and complete a quote there.
Finding the right company should include more criteria than just the price. The questions below may impact your decision as well.
- Do they have 24-hour customer assistance?
- Are they able to provide referrals?
- Do they assist clients in filing claims?
- Do they make recommendations based only on price?
- By raising physical damage deductibles, how much would you save?
If you are searching for a local insurance agency, there are a couple of different types of agencies and how they can quote your rates. Agents are considered either independent or exclusive depending on the company they work for. Either one can write policy coverage, but it’s worth learning the difference between them because it can factor into the kind of agent you use.
Exclusive Agents
Exclusive agencies can only place business with one company and some examples include AAA, Allstate, and State Farm. Exclusive agents are unable to shop your coverage around so they really need to provide good service. These agents are trained well on their products and sales techniques which can be an advantage. Consumers often use the same exclusive agent mostly because of the brand legacy and solid financial strength.
Listed below is a list of exclusive agents in San Francisco willing to provide price quote information.
- Farmers Insurance – Elbert Taylor
386 29th St – San Francisco, CA 94131 – (415) 285-4800 – View Map - Sandy Lee – State Farm Insurance Agent
188 S Park St #4 – San Francisco, CA 94107 – (415) 227-9833 – View Map - Lynn Petrie Lange – State Farm Insurance Agent
3717 Buchanan St #100 – San Francisco, CA 94123 – (415) 923-0192 – View Map
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Agents in the independent channel are not employed by one company so they can insure your vehicles with lots of companies and find you the best rates. If you are not satisfied with one company, the business is moved internally which makes it simple for you. If you are comparing rate quotes, it’s recommended you contact a few independent agents for the best price selection. Many independent agencies also insure through mutual insurance companies which may have better rates.
The following is a list of independent agencies in San Francisco that can give you price quote information.
- CAL Insurance and Associates
2311 Taraval St – San Francisco, CA 94116 – (415) 661-6500 – View Map - Nationwide Insurance: Anita Daisy Lo Agency
6037 Geary Blvd – San Francisco, CA 94121 – (415) 592-8388 – View Map - United General Insurance Agency
3150 California St Ste 4A – San Francisco, CA 94115 – (415) 922-7283 – View Map
San Francisco Insurance Prices are Influenced by These Factors
Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the factors that help calculate your insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively determines base rates, this allows you to make educated decisions that could result in lower rates. Many different elements are part of the calculation when premium rates are determined. Some are pretty understandable like your driving record, but some are more transparent like where you live or your financial responsibility.
Shown below are some of the most rate-impacting factors that factor into premiums.
- Liability protection safeguards assets – A critical coverage on your policy, liability insurance will protect you in the event that a jury decides you are liable for causing personal injury or damage in an accident. Your policy’s liability insurance provides you with a defense in court to attempt to prove you were not liable. Liability is cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so drivers should carry high limits.
- Lower rates for vehicles with better crash test results – Vehicles with good safety scores are cheaper to insure. The safest vehicles reduce injuries and fewer injuries translates directly to fewer claims and thus lower rates. If the Volkswagen Rabbit scored at minimum an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website or four stars on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website it may be receiving lower rates.
- High coverage deductibles lower costs – Physical damage protection, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, helps pay for damage to your vehicle. A few examples of covered claims would be running into the backend of another car, hail damage, and damage caused by flying debris. Your deductibles define the amount you are required to spend before your insurance pays a claim. The more damage repair cost you have to pay, the less your insurance will be.
- Save money by eliminating incidental coverages – There are many additional extra coverages you can purchase if you don’t pay attention. Coverages like rental car coverage, towing, and additional equipment coverage may be wasting your money. They may sound like good ideas initially, but if you don’t need them eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
- Big cities mean more claims – Having an address in less populated areas of the country can be a good thing when insuring your vehicles. People in densely populated areas have to deal with more auto accidents and longer commutes to work. Less people means a lower chance of having an accident and a lower car theft rate.
- Long commutes cost more – The higher the miles on your Volkswagen in a year the higher your rate. Most companies apply a rate determined by how the vehicle is used. Autos left parked in the garage get more affordable rates than cars that get driven a lot. Double check that your insurance declarations sheet correctly shows how each vehicle is driven. A policy that improperly rates your Rabbit can result in significantly higher rates.
- Youthful drivers pay high premiums – Inexperience drivers are statistically proven to be more careless with other occupants in the car and because of this, their insurance rates are much higher. If you’ve ever had to add a young driver onto a policy can increase premiums substantially. Older insureds are shown to be more cautious, are lower risk to insure, and usually have better credit.
Auto insurance in California serves several purposes
Even though San Francisco Rabbit insurance rates can get expensive, insuring your vehicle is a good idea for several reasons.
First, the majority of states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means you are required to buy a specific minimum amount of liability insurance in order to be legal. In California these limits are 15/30/5 which means you must have $15,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $5,000 of property damage coverage.
Second, if you bought your Volkswagen Rabbit with a loan, it’s guaranteed your bank will force you to have full coverage to ensure loan repayment if the vehicle is totaled. If coverage lapses or is canceled, the bank may buy a policy for your Volkswagen at a much higher premium rate and force you to pay the higher premium.
Third, auto insurance protects both your vehicle and your personal assets. It will also reimburse you for medical bills for both you and anyone you injure as the result of an accident. Liability coverage, the one required by state law, also covers legal expenses if you are sued as the result of an accident. If your car is damaged in a storm or accident, your auto insurance policy will pay to repair the damage minus the deductible amount.
The benefits of buying enough insurance definitely exceed the price paid, especially when you need to use it. According to a survey of 1,000 drivers, the average driver overpays more than $800 each year so it’s recommended you shop around at every policy renewal to save money.
Find cheap insurance rates by comparing often
Cheap Volkswagen Rabbit insurance in San Francisco can be found on the web and from local agencies, so you need to quote San Francisco auto insurance with both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance companies may not have internet price quotes and many times these regional insurance providers prefer to sell through independent insurance agents.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, you should never buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are a lot of situations where consumers will sacrifice liability coverage limits only to discover later that the savings was not a smart move. The proper strategy is to find the BEST coverage at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.
People change insurance companies for many reasons like policy non-renewal, not issuing a premium refund, high rates after DUI convictions or even unfair underwriting practices. No matter why you want to switch, switching insurance companies is not as difficult as it may seem.
Additional information is available below:
- How Does Hitting a Deer Impact Insurance Rates? (Allstate)
- Who Has Affordable San Francisco Car Insurance for Drivers Under 25? (FAQ)
- Things to Know Before you Cancel Insurance (Allstate)
- Insuring a Leased Car (Insurance Information Institute)
- Side Impact Crash Tests (iihs.org)